I just did my first Walt Disney World VIP Tour — and instead of booking the entire tour for ourselves, we shared it with two other families we had never met before.
And yes, I know what you’re probably thinking.
You spent seven hours on a very expensive Disney experience with strangers?!
We did. 😂
And it ended up being a 10/10 experience — even though it rained almost the entire time.
Before our tour, I had SO many questions. How much can you actually accomplish in seven hours? Where do VIP Tours enter the rides? How does payment work when you’re sharing with other families? What happens if it rains? And, maybe most importantly, is sharing a VIP Tour with people you don’t know actually a good idea?
Now that I’ve done it, I’m breaking down our entire experience — including exactly what we accomplished across three parks, how we planned our shared tour, the VIP perks I didn’t know about beforehand, and what I would recommend doing differently.
First: Know What Kind of VIP Tour You Want
If you’re considering sharing a Disney VIP Tour with people you don’t know, I think this is the single most important decision you can make.
What kind of Disney day do you want?
Are you visiting for the first time and hoping to slow down, experience the parks, take photos, enjoy the atmosphere, and hit some favorite attractions?
Or are you an experienced Disney guest who wants to MOVE and knock out as many major attractions as possible?
Neither approach is wrong.
But those would be two VERY different VIP Tours — and probably two groups of people who shouldn’t share one. 😂
When I started looking for families to join our tour, I was very specific about what I wanted:
- A fast-paced tour
- Major attractions
- Multiple parks
- Magic Kingdom fireworks at the end of the night
I had a lot of people interested, so I specifically looked for Annual Passholders and/or Disney Vacation Club members.
My thinking was simple: they were more likely to be experienced Disney guests who already knew what they did and didn’t care about doing.
I also figured that if we couldn’t check every single attraction off everyone’s list, someone who visits Disney regularly might be more flexible than someone trying to fit everything into a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.
That strategy worked incredibly well.
Everyone in our group was experienced with Disney, we easily agreed on our priorities, and there really wasn’t any disagreement about how we wanted to use our seven hours.
My biggest shared-tour advice: don’t choose your group based only on who is available. Choose people whose expectations match yours.
Make Your Plan BEFORE the VIP Tour Clock Starts
I’m normally the planner and navigator on our Disney trips.
I’m the one checking wait times, figuring out where we’re going next, choosing routes, and keeping everyone moving.
For our VIP Tour?
I wanted the exact opposite. 😂
I wanted to be guided.
I did NOT want to spend seven very expensive hours standing around asking, “Okay… what does everyone want to do next?”
Based on the experiences I had read and watched before our trip, it seemed reasonable for a fast-paced seven-hour tour to accomplish around 10–13 attractions.
So our group created:
10 must-do attractions
plus
3 bonus attractions if time allowed
We unanimously decided to skip Animal Kingdom and focus on EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom.
Then we essentially told our guide:
These are our priorities. You figure out how to make it happen.
Our list was sent to the VIP Tour team ahead of time. When we met our guide, Jennifer, she already knew what we wanted to accomplish.
This was easily one of the best decisions we made.
Once the tour started, we were almost completely hands-off.
Jennifer handled the logistics, transportation, attraction closures, timing, and routing.
She even had access to attraction-status information through an app on her phone that was different from what guests see in My Disney Experience. At one point, she could see that an attraction was down before it even showed as closed in MDE.
Instead of ten people staring at their phones trying to decide what to do next, she handled it.
We followed.
How Payment Worked for Our Shared Disney VIP Tour
Because our tour consisted of families who didn’t know one another beforehand, the group admin who helped arrange our tour also coordinated payments.
One important thing we learned:
If you’re planning to use an eligible DVC or Club Level VIP Tour discount, the eligible guest needs to be the lead guest on the VIP Tour reservation.
The lead guest placed their credit card on file to secure the reservation. We did not have to pay a deposit when the reservation was initially made.
The other families paid their portions using Disney gift cards before the date the final tour payment would be charged.
Those gift cards were applied to the reservation, and the lead guest’s credit card was then charged only for their remaining portion.
For a group of people who didn’t know one another before planning the tour, this made splitting the cost much easier.
Our Actual 7-Hour Disney VIP Tour Itinerary
Our biggest scheduling priority was ending the tour with Magic Kingdom fireworks.
The VIP fireworks viewing area opened at 9:30 PM, so we scheduled our tour from 2:30–9:30 PM.
And apparently Mother Nature wanted to join us.
It rained basically the entire time. 😂
EPCOT
We started our tour at EPCOT with:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Test Track was also on our list, but it was closed because of the weather.
After Guardians, we headed backstage, got into our private VIP van, and were driven around EPCOT to:
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Test Track was still down afterward, so instead of wasting our very expensive tour time hoping it would reopen, we moved on.
Hollywood Studios
Our VIP van took us backstage at Hollywood Studios, where we entered near the Villains show building.
Because of the weather, we knew Slinky Dog Dash could potentially close if lightning moved into the area.
It was operating when we arrived, so Jennifer recommended doing it immediately.
From there, we did:
Slinky Dog Dash
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
After Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Jennifer grabbed our first included snack — Mickey pretzels — while we headed backstage to the van.
Then we were off to Magic Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom
At Magic Kingdom, we initially entered backstage near Town Square.
Our first stop wasn’t an attraction.
It was VIP shopping!
There are exclusive merchandise opportunities available to VIP Tour guests, and everything was in stock at both the Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom VIP shopping locations during our visit.
After shopping, we dropped our bags back at the van and re-entered the park in Tomorrowland.
Then it was back to attractions:
TRON Lightcycle / Run
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was also on our list, but unfortunately it was down for a non-weather-related issue.
Rather than wait around, we headed toward Frontierland for:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
After Tiana’s, we had about 30 minutes before we could enter the VIP fireworks viewing area.
Mine Train was STILL down, so we made a last-minute decision to squeeze in one more attraction:
Pirates of the Caribbean
While we rode Pirates, Jennifer grabbed our second snack — spring rolls.
We ate those as we walked toward the VIP fireworks viewing area.
Jennifer then retrieved our shopping bags from the van and brought them to us, along with Mickey ice cream bars.
We said our goodbyes and ended our night watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the VIP viewing area without being packed into the regular fireworks crowd.
It was the perfect way to finish the tour.
So… Where Do Disney VIP Tours Actually Enter the Rides?
THIS was one of the things I was most curious about before our tour.
One misconception about Disney VIP Tours is that you’re simply escorted directly onto every attraction.
That’s not exactly how it worked for us.
The entrance varied by attraction. Sometimes we used Lightning Lane. Other times we used alternate or backstage entrances that significantly reduced the amount of queue we had to walk through.
Here’s exactly how each attraction worked during our tour:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: Lightning Lane. Half of our group — including me! — was running late because of the weather. Instead of delaying the tour, Jennifer put the guests who were already there into the line. When the rest of us arrived, she met us at the exit and brought us in to meet the group near the loading area.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: We entered through a back door directly into the loading area.
Slinky Dog Dash: Lightning Lane.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run: Lightning Lane.
Rise of the Resistance: Lightning Lane.
Tower of Terror: Lightning Lane initially. After the pre-show, we used a separate entrance into the loading area that allowed us to skip the remainder of the queue.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Lightning Lane.
TRON Lightcycle / Run: We entered through a Cast Member entrance to the left of the Lightning Lane entrance, which brought us directly to the locker area. After putting our belongings in the lockers, we joined the main line near the loading area.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Lightning Lane.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: We entered through the exit and loaded our log from the opposite side.
Pirates of the Caribbean: We entered through a back door directly into the loading area.
Our longest waits were probably TRON and Big Thunder Mountain, and even those were only around 10 minutes.
Otherwise, it often felt like we essentially walked onto the attractions and only waited when we were next in line to actually board.
I also felt like Cast Members sometimes moved our Lightning Lane group through particularly quickly when they saw our VIP group approaching.
That’s purely my personal observation — NOT something I know to be an official Disney policy — so take that part with a grain of salt!
Drinks, Snacks & Other Disney VIP Tour Extras
There were several smaller VIP Tour perks that I didn’t know much about before our experience.
Unlimited Bottled Drinks
Bottled drinks were available throughout our tour, including water and soda.
Jennifer regularly checked to see if anyone needed something, and she was happy to grab drinks whenever we asked.
Two Snacks Per Person
Our tour also included two snacks per person.
Options included things like:
- Popcorn
- Mickey pretzels
- Churros
- Spring rolls
Here’s something I would DEFINITELY recommend:
If there’s a specific Disney snack you absolutely want, tell your guide ahead of time or include it on the priority list you submit before your tour.
That way, your guide knows it’s important and can figure out where it makes the most sense to work it into the day.
For us, Jennifer grabbed Mickey pretzels at Hollywood Studios and spring rolls while we were riding Pirates.
This is a much better use of your tour time than having the entire group stop and wait in a food line.
There were also VIP teams backstage at EPCOT and Hollywood Studios with baskets of packaged snacks such as pretzels, chips, and cookies.
They weren’t traditional Disney snacks, but after running around in the rain, they were VERY appreciated.
The backstage teams weren’t there when we arrived at Magic Kingdom later in the evening, so availability may depend on timing.
Celebrating Something? Tell the VIP Team!
We happened to have THREE birthdays in our group.
We included the birthdays on the information we submitted before our tour, and Jennifer had special VIP birthday buttons available for us.
It was such a fun surprise and a really cool souvenir from the experience.
So if you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or another special occasion, make sure the VIP Tour team knows ahead of time.
VIP Fireworks and Parade Viewing
Another major VIP Tour perk is access to designated viewing areas.
We chose to end our tour at the Magic Kingdom fireworks viewing area.
In addition to having a reserved place to watch without fighting the regular fireworks crowds, we received Mickey ice cream bars when we arrived.
From what I understand, the Magic Kingdom VIP parade viewing area may offer popcorn.
I can only personally speak to our Magic Kingdom fireworks experience, but the reserved viewing was an amazing way to end seven nonstop hours.
What Happens If It Rains During a Disney VIP Tour?
Unfortunately, I can answer this one VERY thoroughly. 😂
It rained from essentially the beginning of our tour until around 9 PM.
And I’m not talking about a cute little Florida sprinkle.
At times, it was POURING.
Thankfully, the rain stopped in time for fireworks.
Jennifer provided ponchos for anyone who didn’t already have rain gear and trekked through absolutely everything with us.
Despite hours of rain, we only missed one attraction because of weather.
We also learned firsthand that rain itself doesn’t necessarily mean Disney’s outdoor attractions will close. If lightning isn’t creating a safety issue, some attractions can continue operating.
Which is how we ended up riding both Slinky Dog Dash AND Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the rain.
Definitely an experience. 😂
But this also taught me something important about VIP Tours:
Your attitude matters.
If you’re willing to throw on a poncho and keep moving, your guide will keep leading.
Jennifer went out of her way to bring the van as close as possible when we park hopped, get us under cover while she grabbed snacks, and keep our plan moving despite the weather.
The rain didn’t ruin our VIP Tour.
A bad attitude probably would have.
Thankfully, everyone in our group was a trooper. We were soaked, laughed about it, and kept going.
One of My Biggest Tips: TALK to Your VIP Tour Guide
Our guide, Jennifer, was incredible.
We had a 6-year-old and a 13-year-old in our group, and she did a fantastic job keeping them engaged throughout the entire seven hours.
She was also incredibly attentive to everyone’s needs.
Before attractions, she would ask whether anyone had a preference about where they wanted to sit so she could communicate that to the Cast Members loading us.
But one of my biggest recommendations has nothing to do with rides:
Talk to your guide.
Disney VIP Tour Guides are a wealth of knowledge.
Want to know where the Hidden Mickeys are? Ask.
Curious about Disney history? Ask.
Want to hear interesting stories from their years working in the parks? Ask.
Get to know your guide. Ask questions. Let them tell you things.
You’re paying for much more than someone who can get you through attraction lines quickly. Their Disney knowledge is part of the experience.
The Biggest Thing That Surprised Me About a Fast-Paced VIP Tour
This was probably my biggest surprise of the entire experience — and it’s something I hadn’t seen many people talk about.
I am a creature of habit at Disney.
We have our ride order. Our favorite places to eat. Our normal walking routes. Our random little traditions.
And I didn’t realize until this tour just how much the stuff between the attractions is part of the Disney experience for me.
Walking around.
People watching.
Stopping for something random.
Looking at the details.
Taking in the atmosphere.
Honestly, even some of the attraction queues.
Those little moments are part of what makes being at Disney feel like Disney.
On a fast-paced VIP Tour, you’re moving from one thing to another SO quickly that you don’t really experience the parks in the same way.
And surprisingly…
I missed that.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t LOVE our VIP Tour.
Being able to experience that many major attractions across three parks in seven hours was incredible.
But it’s a different way to experience Disney.
And that’s something I wasn’t expecting.
Thankfully, we had another park day afterward when we could slow down, wander around, repeat things we loved, and actually soak everything in.
For me, that was the perfect combination.
If I were planning another VIP Tour, I would absolutely make sure I had some regular park time somewhere else in the trip.
Would I Do Anything Differently?
Not much.
The biggest reason our tour worked so well was that we did the work before the seven-hour clock started.
We found people whose Disney experience and expectations matched ours.
We agreed on the pace.
We agreed on the parks.
We agreed on our 10 must-do attractions.
We had backup attractions.
We communicated celebrations and other priorities.
We sent everything to the VIP Tour team ahead of time.
And then when 2:30 came?
We handed everything over to Jennifer and followed her.
No debating what to do next.
No staring at My Disney Experience.
No standing around deciding whether we should wait for an attraction to reopen.
Just GO.
Is a Disney VIP Tour Worth It?
For us?
Absolutely.
I would highly recommend a Disney VIP Tour if it’s an experience you’re considering and it fits your vacation budget.
And yes — I would absolutely share a VIP Tour with other families again.
But I wouldn’t share with just anyone.
Matching yourself with the right people is incredibly important.
If you’re planning a shared Disney VIP Tour, these would be my biggest recommendations:
- Decide what kind of experience you want before looking for people to share with.
- Find families who want the same pace and style of tour.
- Agree on your must-do attractions before the tour starts.
- Create backup attractions in case weather or closures change your plan.
- Give your VIP Tour Guide your priorities ahead of time.
- Include must-have snacks and celebrations on that list.
- Ask your guide questions and take advantage of their Disney knowledge.
- Don’t waste expensive tour time making decisions you could have made beforehand.
- Once that clock starts, let your guide guide you.
For us, the experience was a 10/10.
In fact, I don’t think my mom and I are going to be able to do our girls’ Disney trips any other way now. 😂
Thinking About Booking a Disney VIP Tour?
If you’re considering a Disney VIP Tour and have questions about pricing, availability, how the tours work, or whether a private or shared tour would make sense for your group, I’d love to help.
I can help you look at your dates, understand your options, and plan a VIP Tour around the experience your family actually wants — whether that’s an all-out attraction marathon like ours or a completely different kind of Disney day.
And if the full price of a private VIP Tour feels out of reach, don’t immediately assume that means a VIP Tour isn’t an option. Sharing with another family may be worth considering — that’s exactly how I was able to experience one myself.
Ready to start exploring your options? Fill out my Disney VIP Tour inquiry form and tell me a little about your trip.
Not looking for a VIP Tour but need help planning your Disney vacation? Fill out my Disney Vacation Planning Form to get started.